"We've got a great young team and I wanted to be a part of that," Nelson told the team's site. "I never wanted to leave, but when we went on the market, I had to keep my options open. But I'm comfortable being with the Bengals and these guys. It's where I want to be."

Nelson, 28, was a solid contributor in 2011, starting all 16 games for the first time in his five-year career. He led the Bengals with four interceptions and registered 85 total tackles.

Nelson has spent the past two seasons with Cincinnati after playing his first three for the Jacksonville Jaguars, who selected him in the first round of the 2007 NFL Draft.